The threat to Jones' Lions Test spot that's being backed by Will Greenwood
British and Irish Lions captain Alun Wyn Jones’ Test place against South Africa may be under threat, according to three-time Lions tourist Will Greenwood.
The former England centre provided a player-by-player guide to Warren Gatland’s 37-man squad recently in The Telegraph, and while he did not necessarily talk down the Welshman’s chances of making the starting XV, he suggested that there is stiff competition from Ireland second row Iain Henderson.
Greenwood wrote “Henderson is in my starting Test XV at the moment,” adding that the Ulster captain “never has a bad game.”
Henderson had a standout Guinness Six Nations alongside fellow tourist Tadhg Beirne, ruling the skies in a pack coached by former Lions captain Paul O’Connell.
Jones could end up partnering Henderson in the second row against the Springboks, but Maro Itoje is a player that shone in the 2017 series against the All Blacks under Gatland and though he was not firing on all cylinders for England this year, he is likely to start if he is playing at his usual high level.
It is not just the Irishman’s strength at the lineout that has caught Greenwood’s eye, rather he has praised him for his ball-handling, comparing him to fellow 1997 tourist Jeremy Davidson.
“He reminds me a lot of Jeremy Davidson from 1997– a huge, Irish lump who is massively effective– because he’s not just a huge lump,” the 2003 World Cup winner wrote.
“He is a clever rugby player who is top-quality in the lineout and a great ball-handler.”
Henderson is accustomed to playing at blindside flanker, as is Itoje, which means Jones could well pack down alongside both of them in the first Test. Nevertheless, this is an indication that no one is guaranteed a starting berth against the Springboks, and even the squad captain faces stiff competition throughout.
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I think we need to get innovative with the new laws.
Now red cards are only 20 minutes, Razor should send Finau on a head hunting mission to hospitalise their 10 with a shoulder to the chops.
Give the conspiracy theorists a win.
England played well enough to win but couldnt score when they needed to and couldnt defend a couple of X-Factor moments from Telea which was ultimately the difference. They needed to hold the ball more and make the AB's make more tackles. Territorially they were good for the first 60. Defending their lead and playing pragmatic rugby in the last 20 was silly. The AB's always had the potential to come back. England still have a long way to go, definite progress would have been shown had they won but it seems they are still stuck where they were shortly after the six nations and their tour to NZ
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